Protein’s role in the spread of the lethal Prion diseases has been brought to light by researchers from Brown University. This was published in an online edition of PLoS Biology.
Researchers under Tricia Serio have revealed that the protein Hsp 104 is responsible for the spread and multiplication of Prion diseases. This protein breaks up groups of such infectious proteins leading to the fatal disorders of the brain.According to Serio, the protein fragmentation helped them understand the spreading of Prion diseases and their role in diseases like Parkinsons.
Prions are nothing but infectious particles of proteinaceous nature which cannot be inactivated by measures which modify nucleic acids. They cause many disorders of infectious and genetic nature.
Prion diseases are characterized by loss of motor control, dementia, paralysis and death, a pattern similar to pneumonia. Scrapie was the first Prion disease to have been discovered.
Source-Medindia
JYT
